Seven prime dairy farms clustered in two of the South Island’s most sought-after dairy farming locations are for sale by deadline private treaty.

The seven farms comprise the complete portfolio managed by corporate farmer Dairy Farms NZ Limited.

Two are adjoining, mostly irrigated properties, one with an adjacent large lease block, in the Lowcliffe district, 29km south-east of Ashburton in Canterbury. The other five are adjoining units at Otapiri, just north-east of Winton, in Southland.

Offers must be submitted by 12pm on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, for the entire portfolio or buyers can offer to purchase either an individual or any combination of properties.
Country & Co in partnership with Bayleys rural salesperson Paula Laughton says the Southland cluster of five farms all link together and sit in one of the most reliable dairy production districts of the province.

“This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for buyers looking for immediate scale or anyone seeking an individual farm in a great location,” she says.

“All the Southland cluster farms are in great order, several have new homes and staff accommodation blocks on them and being handy to the township of Winton is a real plus for staff too,” she says.

The five Southland units total 1,208ha (more or less) and have achieved a three-year average seasonal production of 1,617,493kgMS.

Four of the five farms are running 800-900 cows each and the smaller unit is milking around 440 cows at peak, offering a good range of purchase options.

The largest of the Southland dairy units is Miro Farm, with 285ha (273ha effective) of balanced soil types plus a 60-bail rotary milking shed and a complete set of farm buildings and staff dwellings. Production has averaged 362,952kgMS over the past three seasons from milking 854 cows at peak.

Totara Farm is 265ha (251ha effective) of flat country over good soils, with the ability to spread effluent over the entire farm. It also has three homes, a 60-bail rotary milking shed, large concrete feed pad and a good selection of farm buildings for the scale of the property. Its three-year production average is 338,284kgMS from milking 811 cows at peak.

Rata Farm is 253ha (244ha effective) of flat contoured land, and features a 60-bail rotary milking plant, four houses and great support infrastructure, including a large wintering/calving barn. Its three-year average production is 382,448kgMS from 833 cows at peak.

Picturesque Matai Farm is 273ha (235ha effective) of flat to rolling country which includes just over 18ha of QEII covenanted bush in three parcels. It has a 60-bail rotary milking plant, three homes and plenty of sheds, including a new calf-rearing facility, and its three-year average production is 341,737kgMS from milking 800 cows at peak.

The smallest Southland unit is Kowhai Farm, 132ha (126ha effective) of flat land, comprising rectangle shape for easy management. It has a 50-bail herringbone cowshed and there are two staff dwellings, calf rearing facilities and an implement shed. Average production over the past three seasons of 192,072kgMS from milking 428 cows at peak.

The two Canterbury units have a combined three-year production average of 860,691kgMS.

Lowcliffe Farm offers 191ha of flat, mostly irrigated freehold land plus an adjacent 255ha of leased land and has averaged 544,600kgMS over the past three seasons from 1,395 cows at peak. Cows are milked in a 70-bail rotary shed, and there is a manager’s house, two other dwellings, four modern accommodation units for staff, plus all the support infrastructure required for a herd this size.

Neighbouring Fairview Farm has produced an average of 316,000kgMS for the same period from milking up to 810 cows on 244ha (225ha effective) of flat, irrigated land using cost-effective water from a series of bores. It has a modern 54-bail rotary shed, two dwellings and three modern units for staff.

The two Mid Canterbury properties present a great opportunity for an investor syndicate or family business to purchase a large-scale operation in one of the region’s most desirable dairy farming districts.

“Packages that offer large scale at 2,000-2,200 cows in a well-regarded area of Canterbury are hard to find,” says Bayleys Canterbury rural salesperson Ben Turner.

The owners of the leased land next to Lowcliffe are keen to maintain their arrangement with new owners.

“So, buyers get the benefit of being able to milk up to 2,200 cows without the upfront capital cost required to buy that extra land which is a massive bonus for them,” he says.

Dairy Farms NZ chief executive Craig McBeth says the decision to sell all seven farms was made by the majority of shareholders. Many of them were in at the start when Dairy Farms NZ bought its first two properties in Canterbury in 2014, and they have decided it was time to cash up their investment.

Click here for more information on Miro Farm.

Click here for more information on Totara Farm.

Click here for more information on Rata Farm.

Click here for more information on Matai Farm.

Click here for more information on Kowhai Farm.

Click here for more information on Lowcliffe and Fairview Farms.